HOUR Resources

Purchase Hometown Money to learn how to begin a local currency program in your own community.

Commentary on community economic alternatives by Paul Glover are found in the Archives.
These were published in HOUR Town until 1999, when the HOUR board of directors began system management.
Opinions expressed on these pages do not necessarily reflect current policy or opinions of the HOUR board.

Canadian author Margaret Atwood has made an excellent speech endorsing local currency.

HOUR Highlights

Local Currency Health Financing

The Ithaca Health Alliance was started in 1997 to take control of health prices.
Anyone in New York may join: payments are made for the services of any credentialed health provider anywhere. This program is one of the main HOUR participants. 2.5 Ithaca HOURS ($25) and $5.00 of local currency from other cities is welcome as part of the $100 annual membership fee.
The Canadian national health plan began with a local program.

HOURs Go Global!

Ithaca HOURS were visited by a top official of China's central
bank, sent from Beijing by the President of the People's Bank of China (their
Alan Greenspan) to talk about adopting HOURS as money in China. Wen Tiejun
reported directly to the bank's president, who delivered the report directly to China's Premier. HOURS have since been established there.

HOURs the Subject of PBS Special

The longest TV show about Ithaca HOURS yet, a full half hour PBS program entitled
"How to Spend an HOUR" was broadcast nationwide.

Largest HOUR Loan in History

The world's largest local currency loan to date has been made by the Ithaca
HOUR system, in Ithaca, New York. Alternatives Federal Credit Union/CUSO received
$30,000 in the form of 3,000 Ithaca HOURS. The HOURS were spent to pay 5%
of contract work for building the credit union's new headquarters at State and
Fulton Streets.[Click here to continue.]

A History of Ithaca HOURs

HOURS were created by our community's need and pioneer spirit. During the 1991
recession I designed prototype HOURS and began asking people to sign up to accept
them. The first 30 people agreed. [Click here to continue.] The HOUR archives 1991-2001 are at The History Center in Ithaca.